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Facebook reportedly is working on a news reading app similar to Flipboard, as it looks to cash in on Google Reader’s demise.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook has been working on the project known internally as Reader for over a year, which means that the social network was planning the service before Google announced that it would shut down its identically named service.

ull details of the Facebook Reader service are still to be revealed, but it apparently will resemble Flipboard, aggregating stories from multiple sources and presenting them in a magazine style format. It apparently will arrive as an iOS and Android smartphone and tablet app first, rather than as an online service. It’s unclear whether a web version is also in development.

There’s no word on when Facebook is planning to announce the service, and there’s a chance that the project might not reach the market. Continue reading →

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What makes us the most optimistic about Feedly is the fact that its founder seems dead-set on winning users over. Edwin Khodabakchian and his team are working overtime to improve Feedly across all platforms. They’re actively soliciting feedback and implementing changes to make the service meet users’ needs. Yup — they’re actually listening to the people who use their product. That kind of passion and commitment is something we never saw Google apply to Reader. Reader was great but neglected; Feedly is good and growing fast.

Just this week, Feedly announced a new version of its Web-based application .The update provides a simpler, more visually pleasing interface; more control over the look of your feeds; and a denser, cleaner list view of stories that aims to “make the transition from the Google Reader list view … as seamless as possible.”

Here’s what’s really interesting: I’m actually finding that Feedly is moving beyond the point of merely catching up with Reader. It’s starting to surpass it.

The new Feedly Web app is a joy to use. It’s like a sleeker, more polished version of Reader with several new bells and whistles thrown in. (One such example: If your browser window is small, the left-side navigation panel automatically transforms into a floating menu that appears only when you mouse over it, thereby leaving more space for the actual content of your feeds.) It feels like what Reader could have been if Google hadn’t given up on it years ago.

Feedly’s progress isn’t just limited to the desktop, either. I’ve been testing out a beta version of the company’s upcoming update to its Android app , and let me tell you: It’s good. Really good. The app features a new text-centric list view of stories along with improved search and a handful of other UI and function-oriented improvements. It’s right up there with the top Reader apps available on Android today.

I’ve also discovered some useful gestures that hadn’t previously caught my eye — things like the ability to short-swipe on a story in list view to mark it as read or long-swipe to mark all visible stories as read. Again, it feels like what Google’s own Reader app could have been if its development hadn’t stagnated.

Of course, Google Reader was more than just a website and app; it was an ecosystem that numerous third-party programs relied upon to provide their own mobile experiences. Popular Android apps like Press and Reader HD — and, heck, even Feedly — use Google Reader’s API to sync feeds and keep track of what you’ve read across multiple devices and platforms.

Feedly, as you’ve probably heard, is working on its own “clone” of the Google Reader API — the interface that allows other apps to tap into the ecosystem — and plans to flip the switch on it once Reader shuts down this July. Feedly’s creators say they’ll open the API up to third-party developers, which means — if everything goes as planned — all of those apps should be able to start using Feedly as a universal syncing solution.

Oh, and one more thing: Feedly is working on a pro version of its product for “people who want more control.” In other words: monetization — you know, the thing that keeps a company in business.

It’s too soon to point to any one service as the heir apparent to Google Reader, but Feedly is positioning itself wisely to inherit the throne. And the fact that there are still other players out there is a good thing; it means each contender has to fight to win us over and keep innovating to avoid getting left behind.

Regardless of how things shake out, Feedly’s impressive evolution has me feeling confident that the future of RSS-driven news reading is far less bleak than it initially seemed. Only time will tell what broader implications the shutdown of Reader might have on the Web, but in terms of end-user experience, things are moving beyond stable and actually looking exciting for the first time in years.

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Feedly – Meet feedly. The better way to organize, read and share the content of your favorite sites.

NewsBlur – NewsBlur is a personal news reader bringing people together to talk about the world.

Bloglovin – Bloglovin’ helps you follow the blogs you read by letting you know when they update.

The Old Reader – Welcome to The Old Reader, the ultimate social RSS reader. It’s just like the old google reader, only better.

Bloglines – Welcome to the all new Bloglines, the best resource for local blogs, news, and events.

Tiny Tiny RSS – Tiny Tiny RSS is an open source web-based news feed (RSS/Atom) reader and aggregator, designed to allow you to read news from any location, while feeling as close to a real desktop application as possible.

Pulse – Pulse is a fast and beautiful way to read your favorite blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers.

Flipboard – Your social magazine. See everything on Flipboard, all your news and life’s great moments in one place.

Fever – Your current feed reader is full of unread items. You’re hesitant to subscribe to any more feeds because you can’t keep up with your existing subs. Maybe you’ve even abandoned feeds altogether. Fever takes the temperature of your slice of the web and shows you what’s hot.

Feedspot – We are Rethinking the RSS Reader and building an entirely new platform from scratch.

newsbeuter – Newsbeuter is an open-source RSS/Atom feed reader for text terminals. Newsbeuter’s great configurability and vast number of features make it a perfect choice for people that need a slick and fast feed reader that can be completely controlled via keyboard.

Sunstroke – Sunstroke is the first iPhone and iPod touch app designed to work with Shaun Inman’s Fever self-hosted RSS reader. Sunstroke syncs with your current installation of Fever and gives you full access to all of your feeds, hot links, and saved items.

protopage – Protopage is your own personal page, which you can access from any computer or mobile phone. Use it to read your own selection of news and blogs, keep bookmarks, to-do lists, sticky notes, and much more.

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A feed is a web document that usually ends in .xml or .rss and it is a slimmed-down version of a website that is created to be easily syndicated. It may be represented by an orange icon.

What does it cost? $0 – Itâ€™s free. And no personal information is exchanged.

What is a feed reader?

A feed reader is an application, stand alone or web based, that reads feeds. A feed reader is to feeds what an email application is to email.

What is a Chicklet or feed button?

A Chicklet is a feed button that has your feed readers logo and the blogâ€™s information attached to it. It has been specifically coded to make it as easy as possible to subscribe to the siteâ€™s feed.

To subscribe to a feed, just click on the Chicklet (feed button) that represents the feed reader you choose to use. If you donâ€™t see your reader, simply click on the first orange icon and youâ€™ll be presented with the raw rss feed. Copy this URL into your feed reader.

You may need to see your feed readers help files for more information on adding feeds.

How do I unsubscribe to a feed?

Just delete the feed from your feed reader. You may need to see your feed readers help files for specific information.

How do I know when a feed is updated?

All feed readers update periodically. You may have to push an update button, or it may happen when you load the page or open the feed reader. When updating, the feed reader will go out and check for updated information for you. If there is anything new, the feed reader will alert you; usually bolding new information.

Why is this good?

A feed reader can check all your feeds in seconds for updates without you ever having to visit the websites. 5 or 500 feeds, it doesnâ€™t matter. Itâ€™ll do all the work much faster than you can surf to the website to check manually. This will help you stay up to date with many different sites.

What’s a good Feed Reader?

For Firefox, I suggest using Fizzle. Once installed, you just have to click on the orange RSS button in the URL and bookmark any feed.